Capacity building strategy

IntroductionRaising the capacity of established researchersCapacity for cross-theme collaborationShort “Master Classes”Raising the capacity of early career researchersPhD/ECR training coursesTraining integrative and international modellers through a Marie Curie ITNRaising the capacity of our stakeholdersMACSUR input to the Advanced Training Partnership (ATP

The Interaction of Arvicoline Rodents and Sheep in Norwegian Alpine Rangeland

101 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008.The change in use of Norwegian alpine rangelands from mixed species herds to herds dominated by sheep and reindeer has raised concerns for the potential effect on vegetation and native animal communities. Intensive grazing by large mammals can have significant impacts on plant community composition, species diversity, and nutrient cycling and may also affect densities of small mammals. I used a set of experimental treatments to evaluate the impact of sheep, arvicoline rodents, and fertilization on rangeland in the alpine zone in Hessdalen, central Norway. I established 5 replicated experimental treatment combinations with exclosures and fertilization from which I collected samples of 4 species of common forage plants preferred by sheep: the shrub Salix herbacea , the sedge Carex bigelowii, and the grasses Deschampsia flexuosa and D. cespitosa. I analyzed samples to look for effects of the treatments on indicators of plant quality, including total nitrogen, acid detergent fiber, total phenolic content, tannin content, protein inhibitor activity and ratio of protein inhibitor to soluble plant proteins. My results indicated a positive effect of fertilization but little effect of mammalian herbivory on plant quality, perhaps because of the relatively low overall densities of herbivores at my study site. I also investigated the influence of low to moderate densities of sheep on density and choice of food by field voles. To do so, I assessed use of experimental plots manipulated to change density of sheep (control, exclosure, fertilization, and salt licks) by live trapping voles in summer and by counting nests and runways used in winter. I also conducted cafeteria trials with the 4 species of plants preferred by sheep to determine if voles preferred grazed or un-grazed plants. I found no significant effects of sheep on vole density or on food choice of voles during my 3-year study, but I could not rule out long-term effects owing to changes in vegetation composition. To investigate the potential for common forage plants to respond to herbivory with increased production of defensive chemicals, a clipping experiment was set up in the greenhouse. Only a few of the species tested responded to clipping and the direction and intensity of the response varied between species. It is not likely that sheep grazing will cause a widespread deterioration in forage quality due to increased secondary chemicals.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

MitiGate: Gateway to ruminant CH4 mitigation

The animal science sector has seen a proliferation of potential mitigation strategies, aimed at tackling emissions from enteric fermentation in ruminant livestock production. By bringing together data from studies on the many mitigation options available through a structured meta-analytical approach, it is possible to evaluate the overall mitigation potential for these broad strategies as well as exploring the many factors influencing the potential of CH4 mitigation strategies. Such quantification of the different mitigation strategies will allow for better estimation of mitigation potential on different levels (animal, farm and sector scale) in modelling efforts. Also quantification is important to determine the strategies that show the best potential in lowering methane emissions and hence can be instrumental in policy recommendations. A database has been established through an initial extensive structured search of published literature on the topic. For each relevant paper identified, a range of meta-data have been extracted including information on the study design, mitigation strategy, animal husbandry, diet and methane emissions. By creating a database with multiple levels of moderator coding, we have provided a flexible platform for future meta-analyses at many levels of aggregation. Studies can then in future be aggregated at the level most appropriate for specific modelling or policy recommendations. This comprehensive database is being made available on-line through a user-friendly web interface. The web-site provides a facility for open access to the database, as well as future updates of the database as more research is published on the topic

MitiGate: an On-line Meta-Analysis Database of Mitigation Strategies for Enteric Methane Emissions

The animal science sector has seen a proliferation of potential mitigation strategies, aimed at tackling emissions from enteric fermentation in ruminant livestock production. By bringing together data from studies on the many mitigation options available through a structured meta-analytical approach, it is possible to evaluate the overall mitigation potential for these broad strategies as well as exploring the many factors influencing the potential of CH4 mitigation strategies. Such quantification of the different mitigation strategies will allow for better estimation of mitigation potential on different levels (animal, farm and sector scale) in modelling efforts. Also quantification is important to determine the strategies that show the best potential in lowering methane emissions and hence can be instrumental in policy recommendations. A database has been established through an initial extensive structured search of published literature on the topic. For each relevant paper identified, a range of meta-data have been extracted including information on the study design, mitigation strategy, animal husbandry, diet and methane emissions. By creating a database with multiple levels of moderator coding, we have provided a flexible platform for future meta-analyses at many levels of aggregation. Studies can then in future be aggregated at the level most appropriate for specific modelling or policy recommendations. This comprehensive database is being made available on-line through a user-friendly web interface. The web-site provides a facility for open access to the database, as well as future updates of the database as more research is published on the topic

LiveM overview

MACSUR provides an opportunity to connect disparate research groups and disciplines in livestock and grassland modelling. Within the livestock theme (LiveM) of MACSUR, grassland modelling capabilities have been significantly improved through joint modelling exercises, and grassland modellers have exploited their methodological overlaps with CropM to make important contributions to regional pilot studies. Animal health researchers have been contributing to the southern regional pilot, and modelling resources have been identified for livestock systems at the animal and farm-scales. Here, the priorities for the next steps for livestock and grassland modelling are discussed, and for the role of MACSUR in addressing the challenges facing the sector. While crop and grassland modelling deals with primary production, livestock modelling examines the complexity of secondary production. The unique position of livestock modelling presents challenges and opportunities. The diversity of livestock models (in scale and approach) makes model inter-comparisons and collaborative work challenging, while the range of variables involved in livestock systems provide many opportunities for increasing systemic efficiency and robustness to the impacts of climate change. Closer integration of experimental research and modelling teams also has the potential to increase the capability of livestock and grassland models to predict the impact of European adaptation strategies on livestock farming systems, and on the contribution of these systems to global food security

Building modelling capacity for livestock systems: progress in LiveM

MACSUR provides an opportunity to connect disparate research groups and disciplines in livestock and grassland modelling.  Within the livestock theme (LiveM) of MACSUR, grassland modelling capabilities have been significantly improved through joint modelling exercises, and grassland modellers have exploited their methodological overlaps with CropM to make important contributions to regional pilot studies.  Animal health researchers have been contributing to the southern regional pilot, and modelling resources have been identified for livestock systems at the animal and farm-scales.  Here, the priorities for the next steps for livestock and grassland modelling are discussed, and for the role of MACSUR in addressing the challenges facing the sector.  While crop and grassland modelling deals with primary production, livestock modelling examines the complexity of secondary production. The unique position of livestock modelling presents challenges and opportunities.  The diversity of livestock models (in scale and approach) makes model inter-comparisons and collaborative work challenging, while the range of variables involved in livestock systems provide many opportunities for increasing systemic efficiency and robustness to the impacts of climate change.  Closer integration of experimental research and modelling teams also has the potential to increase the capability of livestock and grassland models to predict the impact of European adaptation strategies on livestock farming systems, and on the contribution of these systems to global food security

Greenhouse gas mitigation in Chinese agriculture:Distinguishing technical and economic potentials

International audienceChina is now the world's biggest annual emitter of greenhouse gases with 7467 million tons (Mt) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2005, with agriculture accounting for 11% of this total. As elsewhere, agricultural emissions mitigation policy in China faces a range of challenges due to the biophysical complexity and heterogeneity of farming systems, as well as other socioeconomic barriers. Existing research has contributed to improving our understanding of the technical potential of mitigation measures in this sector (i.e. what works). But for policy purposes it is important to convert these measures into a feasible economic potential, which provides a perspective on whether agricultural emissions reduction (measures) are low cost relative to mitigation measures and overall potential offered by other sectors of the economy. We develop a bottom-up marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) representing the cost of mitigation measures applicable in addition to business-as-usual agricultural practices. The MACC results demonstrate that while the sector offers a maximum technical potential of 402 MtCO2e in 2020, a reduction of 135 MtCO2e is potentially available at zero or negative cost (i.e. a cost saving), and 176 MtCO2e (approximately 44% of the total) can be abated at a cost below a threshold carbon price ≤¥ 100 (approximately €12) per tCO2e. Our findings highlight the relative cost effectiveness of nitrogen fertilizer and manure best management practices, and animal breeding practices. We outline the assumptions underlying MACC construction and discuss some scientific, socioeconomic and institutional barriers to realizing the indicated levels of mitigation